1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer mouse which includes a printer and more specifically, a mechanical mouse which includes an ink jet printer which receives signals representing data displayed in a region selected on a computer screen by the mouse. As the mouse moves, the printer will eject drops of ink which correspond to the data in the selected region.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,232 to Weber et al. discloses an ink jet printer which is hand held and includes a printhead and a sensing device. The sensing device generates timing pulses which are sent to a computer and used for controlling the printhead. The printhead uses piezoelectric elements to print data onto a sheet of paper. The printhead and the sensing device are connected to a computer by an electrical connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,016 to Suzuki et al. discloses a hand recording apparatus wherein data is printed onto a recording medium by a thermal printhead. The printhead is driven based on signals from an encoder plate and a photosensor which detect movement of the entire apparatus. Data is recorded from a keyboard of a word-processor into a RAM and then read out of to the recording apparatus whenever the recording apparatus is activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,049 to Murakami et al. discloses a hand held copying apparatus which includes an encoder, a reading device, a controller, a storage device, a recording device and a monitoring device. The monitoring device is an LCD and the recording device is a thermal head. Data is read into the apparatus, stored for a variable amount of time and outputted to a piece of paper by the thermal head. A button on the apparatus is depressed to switch between the recording and the reading functions. The encoder generates timing pulses which are used to synchronize the reading device and the recording device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,164 to Kurosawa discloses a hand scanner image input/output apparatus wherein an object is scanned by a scanning element within the input/output device and then printed onto a piece of paper using a thermal printhead. The thermal printhead is moved into an active region prior to printing and an inactive position during scanning.
None of the known existing printing systems combine a mouse with a thermal ink jet printer to form a device capable of both designating data on a computer screen and printing the data.
Thus, the need exists for a computer mouse which can perform routine pointing/designating functions associated with a computer mouse, while additionally providing the capability of printing selected information from a computer screen by depressing of a print button on the mouse and translationally moving the mouse across a recording surface to print thereon.